Inorganic or hybrid inorganic/organic layers have been used in thin films for electrical, packaging and decorative applications. These layers can provide desired properties such as mechanical strength, thermal resistance, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, moisture barriers, oxygen barriers, and surface functionality that can affect wetting, adhesion, slippage, etc.
Inorganic or hybrid films can be prepared by a variety of production methods. These methods include liquid coating techniques such as solution coating, roll coating, dip coating, spray coating, spin coating, and dry coating techniques such as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), sputtering and vacuum processes for thermal evaporation of solid materials. Each of these methods has limitations.
Molecules have been functionalized with alkoxy silane functional groups to enable bonding of the molecules to substrate surfaces or to promote crosslinking. However, the reaction rate of the hydrolysis and condensation reactions involving alkoxy silanes are slower than the corresponding reaction rate of chlorosilanes or alkoxy titanates. In many applications, the alkoxy silane material requires heat, e.g., in an oven, for an extended time period (often hours or days) to realize a high degree of curing (bonding or crosslinking). Acids or bases have been used to catalyze these reactions, but the presence of an acid or base can be detrimental to the other components in the construction.
There remains a need for a method for curing inorganic or hybrid inorganic/organic films on substrates that can be completed rapidly with minimal damage to the substrate and coating.